Dirigible airship



l. JANDA. DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP. Armcmon f lLEn AuG.2r, 19:9.

Patented May 11, 1920.

3 SHEETS`SHEET I.

NVENTOH J. ln/von.

TTRNEYS J. JANDA. DIRIGIBLE MBSHIP. APPucMmu man Aus.2|. me.

1,340,053, Patented May 11,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I 17 1 i i i L Y l Y 19 ,i a7

l .2.a l .20 0 l I J7 i l `l .36' 6 s' i sa WITNESSES 9 39 IVE/U01? arf 7h gi i Anon/ws I. JANDA.

DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP. APPucAlon man ^us.2|. m9,.

Patented May 11, 1920.

a SHEETS-sain 3.

JOHN umm, or Noam. OKLAHOMA.

meiste Amann'.

Bpeoicutlon o! Letters `Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Application led August 21, 1919.y Serial No. 318,980.

To all whom t may concern:

- Be it known that I, JOHN JANDA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Noble; in the county of Cleveland and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and Improved Diri 1ble Airship', of which the folv lowing is a ull, clear, and exact description. 'This invention relates to aerial navi ation and has particular reference to dirigib e airshi ys or the like.

mong the ob'ects of the' invention is to provide a dirigi le airship having a plurality of independent or separable gas bags or equivalent buoyant receptacles so coupled together during normal operation as to operate as a unitary ship, but which in the event of serious damage to one of the bas it may be separated from the. remaining ags permittin the latter to continue on their course or in ti damaged one may be discarded.

Another object of the invention is to provide an airship comprising a multiplicity of separable gas bags or the like all designed to be coupled together for unitary operation and under the control of a single commander, but each of the bags being provided with independent motors and controlling means so that in case of an emergency any one or more of the bags may be detached and operated singly as an independent unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dirigible airship specially constructed and equi ped for either oienslve or defensive war are or for the conveyance of passengers or other loads in times of peace.

A still further object is to provide a special arrangement in large aircraft for the con- .veyance of a number of aeroplanes and for the dispatch of such planes from the parent ship at any desired tlme. means for the carrying and delivery of high explosive bombs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a pree air for further operation while the still further object is to provide a specialfer'red embodiment of my invention, parts of Flg. 3. Y

Fig. 2 is a plan view indicatin diagram-- matically the nature of the prope ing means for the uppermost gas bag. l

Fi 3 is a vertical transverse section -on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

F ig. 4 is a plan view of one of the suspended fuselages.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational detail of the means for releasing an aeroplane from the keel of one of said fuselages; and

Fi 6 is a vertical transverse section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show a construction or assembly of novel instrumentalities including a plurality of gas bags 10, 11, and 12 all substantially `alike as to general construction and capacity and made of any suitable size, material or buoyancy, but having sufficient lifting power for the conveyance of heav masses such as anti-aircraft or other higli powered uns, hi h explosive bombs, operating an contro ling machinery, crew, or other passengers. These several bags may be made to consist of or comprise a multiplicit of separate compartments for added strengt 1 and reliability, but as to this I am not especially concerned, and hence the internal construction of the several bags is not illustrated.

The uppermost bag 10 is provided preferably beneath its shell with a plurality of prbpellers 14, each propeller being connected to a longitudinal shaft 15 extending lon ieven ythough when placed within the gas bags there will be no interference with the buoyant structure.

Beneath each of the bags 11 and 12 is a base or latform 17 suitably connected to the bag y means of shackles 18. Each of the bases carries a plurality of engines 19 and 2O shown as carried in compartments.

beneath the base and each en ine having at least one propeller 21 suitab y located for it wi the highest degree of propulsive efficiency. Obviously any suitable fuel may be provided for these en ines and if gasoleiie the same may be carried ina tank 22 for each engine located upon the upper surface of the base 17. By comparing Figs.` 1 and 3 it will be noted that I provide four of these en ines 19 and 20 and Propellers 21V for eac of the ba 11 and 12 two fore and two aft. The engines "19 and 20 may be essen'- tially similar but are distinguished by different reference characters for the reason that the engines 20 are provided with auxiliary windin devices 23 for the operation of a winch 4 connected to an overhead transverse shaft 25 between the pulley 26 of which and the engine connections 23 an endless driving member 27 extends. These Winches 24 are employed for the purpose of drawing the ba 10 into place as shown in Fig. 3 prior to t e setting upon the journey. Wire cables 28 or their equivalent being connected by eyes 29 at the bottom of the ba 10 and bein coiled upon the Winches, an

the power s afts 25 c utched by the operation of the levers 30 or the like so as to be driven from the engines 20 the uppermost` air ba will be hauled down into place where be connected to the other ba s by means of detachable shackles 31 inclu ing a draw inl 32 for each shackle. Likewise each of) the four shacklesl includes a draw pin 33. Each of the draw pins 32 and 33 may be withdrawn from connection position at any time under the control of the operator or lthe commander of the ship by any suitable means.A To this and, however,

have designed'the mechanism so Aas to constitute each draw p n as an armature of a solenoid .34 in circuit with any suitable source of electrical energy. When any set of solenoids are energized simultaneously the Ashackles pertaining thereto are separated thereby setting free the as bag held.

thereb to the other bags or ases. Any suitab e wiring will be provided for this purpose, a ortion of which is indicated at 35. A fuse age orbody 36 of any suitable desi `or construction may be suspended pre erably flexibly through connections 37 'on either-base 17. Thesefuselages are indicated as being referably in the nature of a boat hull (see igs. 4 and 62 and the keel beam 38 ofeach may be emp oyed as stearrier yfor one or more aeroplanes 39. l To* this end each of the keels 38 is shown in the nature of an, I-beain upon whose lower {iarres40 la Vttolley 41 is adapted to roll.

etrolley comprises any suitableV frame havin .rollers 42land4 including a pair `of aws pivoted at 44 and adapted to swing aterally from each other against the force of. springs 45 which normally hold the lower ends of ,the jaw-s against or toward'each other and between which a dumb bell pin Lemons 46 extends. One end of the pin is carried permanently in a socket 47 and loosely in an opposite socket 48, which in normally supports a chain 49 or other suitable connection carried by the aeroplane.

-l At any convenient point as at or near one en of the keel 38 I provide some suitable means to se arate the jaws 43 to release the pin 46 an so set free the aeroplane susended thereby. For this purpose Ishow -a ever 50 pivoted at 51 on a transverse axis below the rail or ykeel one end of the lever projecting between the' jaws 43 when the carrier 41 a proaches and to the opposite end of the ever is a draft connection 52 leading upward through the bottom of the fusela e 36 to any desired point for mani ulation the commander or any other o oer on the ship. When this draft connection is lifted the opposite end of the lever is thrown downward forcing the j aw's 43 apart for the purpose set forth. More than one aeroplane may be supported on the same keel 38 if desired, and to revent the accidental rolling of the trol eys 41 from the keel any suitable stop 53 may be applied to the opposite end thereof from the release lever 50.

At any convenient place, for instance at the rear end of a fusela e 36, I rovide a power windin device 54 rom which a wire cable 55 or t e like'may be operated the same to support a basket 56 in whi an observer may be stationed and lowered to any desired elevation above the ground for observation or other analogous purpose and then drawn up again at any desired time.

At 57 I indicate the antennae of one or more wireless euipment's preferabl one for each base 17 an fuselage suspende beneath it. The operators room for the wireless outfit is indicated at 58' in Fig. 1 within a fuselage 36. 4

At either end of either base 17 is located a compartment 59 for the carrying or storin of bombs-and for the accommodation o any operators associated therewith.

.The bombs as indicated at 60 may be de# livered singl from beneath the Acom artment 59 an suspended temppraril y a bridle 61 comprisin a plura 'ty o stra s embracin the bom and which may separate or opened by solenoids or other means under the contro of an oiicer at any convenient place so that while the sliip is in operationover an enemys worksfor exam le the officer havi facilities for determining the elevation and ground speed with respect to the enemy or other target, will have control of the bomb dropp g device so that at the proper mo nient the release ma be effected.

Any suitable ann-aircraft s or other armament may be located` at 6 in the u per as bag or at the bow or stern ends o the lages as at 63 and 64. Look-outs maybe `instrumente or other stationed at 65 on the tops of any of the bags or other desired places, and at 66 I indicate a bridge for the commander on either fuselage. Stairways, ladders, elevators or othe:` suitable means may be provided for the crew or other passengers to ain access to any part of the aircraft. A adder for this purpose is indicated at 67.

I claim:

1. In a dirigible airship, the combination of two gas bags, a base beneath the same power means carried by the base, a'third gas bag, connections between the power means and the third gas bag for drawing the last into position above and between the 16 first mentioned bags, and means to couple the third mentioned gas bag to those rst mentioned.

2. In a dirigible airshi the combination of a plurality of gas ha power and controlling means for each bag, supporting means for thel crew or freight carried by each gas ba and electrically controlled means to detacably connect the several bags to one another and -the supporting 25 JOHN J ANDA.

gs, independent 20 

